Profile: Abby Flores

Three beautiful boutiques: one owner! Meet Abby Flores, the brilliant woman behind it all.

We got to sit down and chat with Abby Flores - the lady behind Kate, Lady Bye and COCO - to learn more about the inspiration behind her shops.

What inspired you to open up your boutiques? Is your background in fashion? 

I really enjoy working with our community. This is why I do what I do. Our clothes are beautiful. That’s a given. But the chance to help someone feel so lovely and seen and heard just where they are? That’s everything. 

I came to small business life in a most circuitous way. But I also believe life will lead you to just where you are meant to be. My undergrad is a double major in studio art and art history. After college I worked at Target HQ in Minneapolis. The beauty of Target - you just needed to demonstrate you were intelligent and they would take the time to train you for an entirely new path. I started in Produce (so many delicious samples! haha) and eventually moved to women’s ready-to-wear as a Business Analyst. Ready-to-Wear! Talk about meant to be! I could have been placed in Sporting Goods or Bath Mats or something. The job gave me so much insight into everything from assortment planning and supply chains to inventory management and fabrications. 

I left Target to attend grad school at KU, and earned my Masters in Art History. I’d originally intended to get my doctorate and become a professor, but academia wasn’t the right fit. But this move brought us to KC permanently, and I quickly found my new life in the small biz world. 

Photo by Abi White

What is the inspiration behind the different names of each of your stores? 

The shops are very much like most sisters—each with her own personality, but on occasion, she definitely takes style cues from her sisters. 

The oldest is COCO brookside, named for Coco Chanel, who I like to call an OG badass. She didn’t let anyone define what fashion was or what it should be, and blazed such an original path. 

The middle sister is Lady Bye. Lady Bye is named after the iconic images of women such as Princess Diana, Jackie O and Michelle Obama. Just a mention of their names and you instantly imagine them, standing at their open car door, or at the top of the airplane steps, waving goodbye. 

Lastly, KATE is the youngest. KATE is a nod to Katharine Hepburn, one of my all time favorite humans thanks to her talent, strength and formidable outlook. She continuously worked to break down expectations and stereotypes, all the while staying true to who she was and what she believed. 

Photo courtesy of @ladybye

What type of styles does each store offer? 

We want to help every person who walks in our doors to feel so beautiful and seen and heard - to honor this we offer inclusive sizing whenever possible in sizes Extra-Small through 3X. And we love versatile pieces - those styles that earn their place in your closet again and again. 

Each shop is carefully curated to match her personality: COCO is the west-coast casual shop, trend-focused. Lady Bye is the east-coast modern shop, offering classics which are unapologetically feminine. Kate is a perfect mix of her two older sisters. COCO and Lady Bye are located around the corner from each other in Brookside. Quite handy, as the shops compliment each other perfectly. Kate is located down in the River Market, which is why you’ll find a wider variety of styles there.

What has been the most challenging part about owning your own business? How have you navigated during the pandemic? 

Small biz life is not for the faint of heart. The stark uncertainty from one day to the next cannot be emphasized enough. If it is going well, it is exhilarating. There is nothing quite like someone seeing your vision, loving it, and choosing to be a part of it. On the flip side, having too many slow days in a row can have you second guessing everything. 

And that uncertainty is what has made the last year so tough. For many reasons, people are not shopping for new clothes. I am thankful for those who think of us when they do need something, and I continue to focus on the predictions economists have made about a resurgence in Q4 2021. We just need to hold on until then. I’ve said it since the beginning of COVID - if we all lean in and support each other, we will make it to the other side.  

Photo by Abi White

What advice would you give those looking to start their own business?

Be prepared to learn how to do every aspect of your business at the start. Later, identify your weaknesses and hire for those. Focusing on your strengths and hiring for your weaknesses means you can be more efficient with the time you do work. 

Hire for character. You can train someone job skills, but you cannot train someone to be kind.

You won’t please everyone. When I first started, I was convinced if I worked hard enough I could make everyone happy. Ah, hindsight. Do your best. Honor those who support you. Set clear expectations and boundaries. Know what you are creating won’t be for everyone.

Your business will be, literally and figuratively, your blood, sweat and tears. It is too easy to slip into giving all your waking hours to your business, so be sure to find and hold yourself to a balance. Your mental and physical health and relationships are too important. 

Photo courtesy of Abby Flores

As a local Kansas City business owner, what are some of your other favorite local spots to support? 

SO MANY! I love, love local restaurants (having Celiac means I work extra hard to find good food): 

• Billies in Midtown for a GF Breakfast Sando, GF Chicken Fingers or Boujee Nutella Poptart 

• Ricos Tacos “Lupe” in Crossroads for an amazing taco Tuesday (the chips are not GF, but their queso is!!)

• KAF Coffee Bar in Crossroads for a decaf cappuccino 

• Thou Mayest in River Market for an Oat Milk Matcha 

• Il Lazzarone in River Market for Naples-style pizza (Formaggio on a cauliflower crust!!) 

• Cafe Ca Phe in West Bottoms for a decaf Saigon 

• Cottontale Cotton Candy (soon opening her new concept Cookies and Creamery in Redbridge!) 

• Caffeteria in Prairie Village for a Goldwater Salad 

• Hot Basil in OP for crab fried rice 

Small retail businesses I love: 

• Skin in Brookside for my favorite face serums 

• World’s Window in Brookside is my mom’s favorite clothing stop when she’s in town 

• Lily Floral Designs in Brookside for beautiful bouquets 

• Reset in Westport for shoes 

• Clothz Minded in Westport for curated second-hand finds 

• Birdies in Crossroads for lingerie 

• RE in Crossroads for pillows 

• Madi Apparel in Westside for bamboo basics 

• Bella Patina in West Bottoms for vintage treasure hunting (fun fact - our Lady Bye cash wrap is an antique phonograph cabinet we found there!) 

• Convivial in West Bottoms for candles 

• The Dance Shop in OP for all my daughter’s ballet needs 

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